CHECKLIST FOR MAJORS & MINOR

Topics

Selected topics in biology. May include laboratory depending on subject. May not be counted toward major in biology.

Distribution Area

Prerequisites

Credits

Science and Mathematics

1/2-1 course

Fall Semester information

Kevin Kinney

190A: Tps: Explaining Biology

Confused by reports of cures, treatments, preventions and the latest dietary recommendations? Wondering what someone means when they say they've found a new species, or that a chemical may have estrogenic effects on an animal? This course is one in communication, with biology as the subject. Students taking this course will spend most of their time listening to and reading about biological discoveries and translating the reports into forms that a non-scientist can understand and appreciate. The course will primarily use a speaking and listening format- students will be talking about science and explaining it to their peers. Students will learn to cut through the scientific jargon to make biology (and, by extension other science) more accessible to the public in general. No prior biology experience at the college level is needed for this course.

Spring Semester information

Dana Dudle

190A: Tps:Biology Writing

We all need to be able to understand and communicate about biological patterns in order to achieve several critical needs of our society over the next several decades, such as sustainable production of food, improvement of individual health, and protection of ecosystems in the face of climate change. To achieve the goal of widespread understanding, scientists and journalists need to write clearly about complex interdisciplinary problems in order to facilitate public engagement. Meanwhile, community members need to approach scientific texts with confidence and skill. In this course, we will read texts from the popular press and from the scientific literature that address food production, cancer cells, environmental conservation, and more. We will practice writing clear, compelling, and precise prose exploring these texts, and discuss ways to present data graphically in ways that can inform and engage our community. Not open to biology majors or students who have taken BIO 197:FYS Biology Writing.